Page 118 of Bonds of Obsession

“Jesus.” Knox makes a face. “All these fucking secret societies and their goddamn intrigue and infighting. Those fuckers sound worse than that Ambrose asshole.”

Quinn lets out a humorless laugh. “In a way, yeah. But they’re a different kind of terrible. Ambrose is like a rabid dog. He’ll hunt me down until he gets his chance to take me out. But the Syndicate? They’re like a nest of scorpions. I never wanted to join their organization, but he forced my hand, and now I’m trapped in it. There won’t be any way out, except…”

She trails off, letting the last word go unspoken. But I hear it in my mind just as clearly as if she’d said it out loud.

Death.

The only way she’ll ever be free of the chains that bind her to the other Dark Lotus Syndicate members is if she’s dead.

My fingers itch with the urge to reach for my gun, or to ball into fists and beat my way through every single member of the Syndicate. She joined their ranks because of me, to save my life, and I’ll never be able to repay her for it—but I’ll goddamn well spend the rest of my life trying. I’d lay down my own life for hers in a heartbeat if it would protect her from the threats that seem to be closing in on all sides.

“First things first,” Willow says quietly, breaking the silence that’s fallen over the room. “The Syndicate sounds like it will be a problem, but the more immediate threat is Ambrose. So deal with him first. Then you can figure out what to do from there.”

There’s wisdom in her words, a kind of cool practicality that serves people well when they’re forced into dangerous situations. I can see how, despite her softer and more gentle outward appearance, she fits in well with the Voronin brothers.

“Agreed,” Nico growls. “We need to take Ambrose out before he attacks again. But the fucker has gone underground, and we don’t know how to make him show himself.”

Priest, the quietest of River’s men, leans forward suddenly, his light blue eyes flashing. “If you want to flush him out, then you should pull at the one thread that you know has been connected to him in the past. The rat. The one who sold you out. Emmett.”

37

QUINN

My stomach clenchesat the mention of Emmett’s name. The way he betrayed me is still too raw, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over the visceral reaction I have whenever I think back on how much I trusted him and how easily he sold me out. I flex my fingers against my thigh, trying to keep my face neutral. I’m pretty sure I’m losing that battle though.

But Priest has a good point. As much as I hate to think about him or speak his name, Emmett is the only real connection we have to Ambrose. It’s just a matter of how we can exploit that connection in some useful way.

Knox lets out a grunt of agreement, his darkly handsome features twisting. “Rats always go where the food is. It’s been that way since the beginning of time. Cowardly little shits like Emmett? They’re always sniffing around the strongest person in the room, begging for scraps. Which means he’s probably still working for Ambrose, or trying to.”

“You really think so?” I ask, even though I feel like I already know the answer. Emmett won’t be able to resist playing both sides if he thinks it might benefit him.

Knox’s lips quirk into what might be a faint smile, but there’s absolutely no humor in his expression. Or in his words. “The wayI see it, even with the Tyrants watching his back now, you can bet your ass he’s still trying to stay useful to Ambrose too. He’s probably desperate for another fat payout.” He snorts. “That type of coward needs to hedge their bets. They have to keep themselves valuable to the real players.”

I drag in a breath, anger settling deep in my gut at the memory of how Emmett used to stick so close to my side, always wanting to be the first one I turned to for counsel or advice. Always wanting to be my right hand. What a fucking joke that turned out to be.

He never truly had my back—he just acted like he did, wanting to be near me because I was in power. But when it came down to it, he sold me out without a second thought.

My thoughts shift to my past animosity with the Princes, the men I once considered my enemies. Even though we all had a rocky start, they were never as bad as Emmett was. At least they hadsomesense of loyalty, even if it wasn’t to me back then. But they were loyal to their gang, loyal to each other.

Emmett, though? He’s only ever been loyal to one person: himself.

“Okay.” I nod, my mind racing as I start to piece together a plan. “If anyone can lead us to Ambrose, it’s going to be Emmett.”

Nico nods, picking up the thread of my thought. “With any luck, he’s left a trail of breadcrumbs behind him, either because he’s too stupid or too arrogant to cover his tracks properly. And with even more luck, he’ll be too focused on chasing the next payday to watch his back when we come after him.”

Knox shakes his head, his shaggy hair falling over his forehead. “That little worm is probably on his knees right now, begging Ambrose to keep him around. To keep finding uses for him.” He lets out a harsh laugh. “Men like that? They’re morescared of being useless than they are of dying—and they’re real fucking scared of dying.”

Atlas nods, determination flashing in his eyes. “Ambrose might be cunning as hell, but Emmett isn’t. He’ll get sloppy, make a mistake, show his fucking face where he shouldn’t.”

Killian catches my gaze with that intense stare that makes me feel like I’m the only other person in the room with him. “Then we’ll find him, siren. And he’ll lead us to Ambrose.”

Knox nods in satisfaction, his grin a bit blood-thirsty. “And if you need any help burying a body afterward, we know some spots.”

That draws a laugh out of me, and the tension in my shoulders eases slightly. Finally, we have something concrete to work with. A real lead to follow. Emmett might be a selfish low-life, but his desperation to matter could just be exactly what we need.

River shifts in her seat, lifting a warning brow. “Just remember that rats have a tendency to bite when they’re cornered.”

“Let him try.” Killian’s expression turns murderous. “I’ve been wanting to break his fingers since the day he sold Quinn out.”

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